KQED's Forum Misogyny Has Gone Mainstream. What Can be Done?
Dec 18, 2025
In a compelling discussion, Roxane Gay, a scholar and author known for her incisive commentary on gender, teams up with Irin Carmon, a senior correspondent revealing the intersection of law and misogyny, and Savala Nolan, an expert on social justice and gender issues. They tackle the alarming normalization of misogyny through media, political rhetoric, and legal structures. The panelists emphasize the need for grassroots activism and propose new frameworks for accountability, while critiquing the influence of the manosphere on young men and cultural narratives surrounding masculinity.
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Louder Misogyny, Real Legal Harm
- Ambient misogyny is louder now because social media and 24-hour news amplify it.
- Legal setbacks like Dobbs make contemporary misogyny materially harmful, not just louder.
Normalization Through Power And Platforms
- Trump and media changes normalized public misogyny and made fringe voices seem mainstream.
- Algorithms and platform choices accelerate that perception by amplifying extreme content.
Institutions Locked To Past Power
- Law and institutions reflect the priorities of those in power and are slow to change.
- Women have never been treated as full autonomous citizens, so we need new guiding visions rather than past models.